Tread brake arrangement



Dec. 8, 1964 Filed June 21. 1962 W. P. POLANIN TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Dec. 8, 1964 w. P. PoLANlN '3,160,234

TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Filed June 21. 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Dec. 8, 1964 w. P. PoLANlN 3,160,234

* TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT Filed June 2l, 1962 (5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. @ma 'f fm-7L mmf @A W l Me/Waff?? ,l

United States Patent O This invention relates to brake arrangements for railway car trucks and more particularly to a wheel tread brake arrangement adapted for use on a conventional four wheel freight car truck having spaced truss type side frames interconnected by a bolster and supported at their ends upon wheel and axle assemblies.

Brieiiy, the present invention contemplates the provision of four self-contained tread brake units supported on the side frames adjacent their respective wheels, each brake unit comprising a brake head-shoe assembly adapted to be selectively actuated by either power or manual means to frictionally engage the tread surface of a wheel.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a self-contained tread brake unit which is relatively inexpensive in construction and reliable in operation.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a tread brake unit adapted to be detachably mounted on a side frame of a railway car truck.

`A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a self-contained tread brake unit embodying a slack adjusting means.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE l is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in vertical section, showing a railway vehicle provided with a self-contained tread brake arrangement embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in IFIGURE l;

lFIGURE 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary side elevation, partly in vertical section, illustrating a hand brake arrangement embodying features of my invention;

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the hand brake arrangement shown in FIGURE 4;

`FIGURE 6 is an end view of the structure illustrated in FIGURE 4.

It will be understood that certain elements have been intentionally omitted from some of the views where these elements are shown to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention and more particularly to FIG- URES 1. to 3 therein, a self-contained tread brake unit embodying features of the invention is shown as mounted for use on a conventional railway freight car truck comprising spaced truss type side frames l2 supported at their ends on wheel and axle assemblies 16 and interconnected by a bolster 14. Each side frame 12 comprises tension and compression members 2 and 3 interconnected by spaced columns 4 to define a window 5 to receive one end of the bolster. Conventional spring groups are seated on the tension members 2 to resiliently support the bolster adjacent its ends.

Each of the four wheels `I3 is provided with a tread brake unit which is shown as comprising a brake headshoe assembly 20 pivotally connected to the lower end of a brake hanger 22 having its upper end pivotally connected to a bearing bracket 24 secured to the side frame compression member l3. A power device 25 is ICC secured to a bracket 2S adapted to be detachably mounted on the side frame tension member 2 between the columns 4 by means of cap screws 29. The power device .is shown as comprising a piston rod 30 secured to a plate 32 which is engaged by a exible diaphragm 34 having its periphery secured to the wall of a cylinder 36. A compression spring 40 is provided in the cylinder to yieldably resist movement of the piston rod from its retracted position. The cylinder is connected to a source 42 of pressurized iiuid by means of a conduit 44 provided with a conventional control valve.

The piston rod 30 is provided with a bifurcated outer end which is pivotally connected to an actuating lever 46 by a pin 48. The outboard end 50 of the lever 46 is pivotally connected by means of a pin 54 to lugs 52 provided on the side frame tension member 2 adjacent the lower end of ay column 4. The lever 46 is formed with an arcuate convex abutment surface 56 disposed between the pivot pins 48 and `54 for abutting engagement against a surface on the assembly 26, as hereinafter described. The inboard end 60 of the lever 46 is slidably supported on a guide bracket 58 secured to the bracket 28. j

Brakef head-shoe assembly 20 comprises a brake shoe 68 mounted on a brake head 62 having a centrally disposed opening 64 extending through its back wall 66. A slack adjuster assembly 70v comprises a tubular adjustel housing 72 partially received in opening 64, said housing 72 having a portion 74 extending into the brake head 62 from the back wall 66. The adjuster housing 72 is provided with a pair of mounting lugs 76 rigidly secured tc the back wall 66 by bolt and nut assemblies 78. Thf housing 72 is internally threaded at 80 to substantiallj itsfull length.

An adjuster screw 82 hasv a threaded end portion 84 engaging the threads 80 in thev housing 72. The other ent of the adjuster screw 82 is provided with a hexagona portion 86 and an abutment -ange 8S having an abutmen surface 90 on the end thereof engaged against the actuating surface 56 on the lever 46.

.A retainer clip 92, preferably made of spring steel is provided with a substantially U-shaped central portici 94 having legs straddling the lever 46 adjacent the actuat ing surface 56. The end portions 96 of the clip 92 extent over opposite sides of the iiange 88 with the ends thereo engaging at surfaces of portion 86.

The lever 46 is provided with two sets of stop lugs 9i located on, opposite sides of the lever 46, so as to havt one lug adjacent each side of the U-shaped portion 94 o clip 92 to prevent the clip 92 from being moved inboardl or outboardly along lever 46 except when the clip 92 i intentionally sprung out over the stop lugs '98.

The slack adjuster 70 may be manually adjusted b1 temporarily disengaging spring clip 92 from the hexagona portion 86 to permit the adjuster screw 82 to be rotatee freely for axial movement into, or out of, the adjuste housing 72. The rotational force applied to the screw 32 may be made to overcome the spring force actin against hexagonal portion 86 to permit adjustment by de tent actionbetween the clip 92 and the hexagonal ftats o portion 86.

Brake lever 46 is provided with a hand brake abutmen surface 100 on its inboardly end portion 60. The han brake includes a pair of slideable equalizers 162 and 102e siennes D rpart during braking action, lever 4d is pivoted to move he brake shoe dit connected thereto into engagement with he wheel 18 in the same manner as though it were acuated by the power unit 2d.

The abutment bars 194 are reinforced by lugs `168 velded to the bars and to the respective equalizers 102 ind 1il2a. The equalizer Vbars 102 and 192C: are slidably `upported upon a pair of hanger assemblies, generally lesignated at 116.

The hanger assemblies 116 are suspendedV downwardly 'rom the bol-ster 14- and are shown as comprising a gen- :rally U-shaped bracket 113 having parallel side walls 120 engaging the bolster side walls 122 and 124, and a pair if support pieces 126 each having an upwardly extending :nd portion 12e engaged with a bracket side wall 120 and raving its opposite end 13? secured to the central portion .32 of bracket 118.

Bracket 11S and supports 126 provide guideV supports Vhich permit both equalizer bars 102 and 102a tobe:

lideably supported adjacent the lower side of thebolster .4 for limited movement laterally, inwardly, vardly, as shown in FIGURE 5.

Stop pins 134 are provided on the equalizer bars 102 .nd lima, adjacent the hanger assemblies 116,v to limit lterai movement of the bars. Equalizer bar 192 is proided with a double jaw 111B having its first jaw portion 112V rivotally connected centrally between the ends of said ar, and a second jaw portion 114 extendingoutwardly erefrom.

Equalizer bar 16242 is provided with a double jaw 138v aving its rirst jaw portion 141i pivotally connected cenally between the ends of bar 10202, and a second jaw poron 142 extends outwardly therefrom. Double jaw 138 n bar 102a is oppositelydisposed to double jaw 110V on ar 102.

A dead lever 144 has its lower end pivotally connected 3 the second jaw portion 142 and its upper end to a pair t dead lever straps 146, one disposed on each side of :ver 144. The oppositeends of dead lever straps 146 re pivotally secured to opposite sides of a dead lever ig 14S fixedly secured to the bolster side wall 124.

Live brake lever 156 is pivotally connected at its lower 1d to the second jaw portion 114, and its upper end is ivotally connected to an operating rod 152 connected to 1y suitable hand brake operating device (not shown) actuate the rod 152. It is understood that operating )d 152 could be used as a tension member, as shown, or :versed substantially 180 and be operated as a com- ;ession member.

A iloating push rod 154 is disposed substantially hori- )ntally so as to extend through aligned openings 156 1d 15S through the side walls 124 and 122, respectively, the bolster 14. Gne end of the push rodI 154 is piv- Lally connected intermediate the ends of dead lever 144 1d the other end is pivotally connected intermediate the ids of lever 150.

When a handbrake application is made, rod 152 causes .e upper end of live brake lever 15) to pivot inwardly :out the pivotal axis oflever 1519 at the end of push d 154, thereby causing the equalizer 1l2, pivotally con- :cted to the lower end thereof through jaw 110, to move ltwardly. However, any oppositional force to outwardk ovement of the equalizer 102, will cause the push rod i4 to have its end pivoted to lever 150 to move inwardly le to pivoting action of lever 150 about its pivoted axis double jaw 11i)l at the lower end thereof.V Conseiently, withthe opposite end of the push rod 154 being nnected intermediate the ends of dead lever 144, the wer end of the dead lever 144 and the equalizer 102z ll move outwardly thereby providing substantially equal and out? operating rod 152, together with any associated hand brake operating device and the pivotal abutment `structure 166 of the bolster 14 and car supported thereon. Further, the inclined position of the levers permit the use of longer lever armsV thereby permitting better mechanical advantages within the confined space.

I claim:

l. In a tread brake arrangement for a railway car truck having a side frame supported on spaced wheel and axle assemblies, an actuating lever pivotally connected to the inboard side of said frame, a brake head-shoe assembly pivotally supported from said frame for engagement by -said lever, means to actuate said lever to move said brake head-shoe assembly into frictional engagement with a wheel, said brake head-shoe assembly comprising a slack adjuster screw engaged bysaid lever, said screw being threaded intov a housing mounted on said brake head-shoe assembly, and a resilient retainer clip mounted on said lever and having legs engaging flat surfaces on said screw.

2. In a railway car truck, a truss type side frame having tension and compression members interconnected by spaced columns todeiine a window, a hanger pivotally connected to said compression member, a brake head pivotally connected to said hanger, an actuating lever pivotally connected to said tension member to engage and move said brake head, a power devicev mounted on said tension member below said window to actuate said lever, said power device having a piston rod pivotally connected to said lever intermediate the ends thereof, and a slack adjusting screw mounted on said brake head for engagement by said lever, and means including a spring clip interconnecting said lever and screw.

3. In a tread brake arrangement for a railway car vtruck having a frame and supporting wheel and axle assemblies,1a brake head-shoe assembly having a friction surface engageable with the tread of said wheel, means to pivotally suspend said brake head-shoe assembly from y said frame, a power unit secured to said frame, a piston ferating forces with equalizer 102 to actuate the actuat- Y g lever 46 as described above. V Dead lever 144 and live lever 150 may be disposed to ive their upper ends angled outboardly, as best seen in GURE 6, in orde! t0 provide clearance between the l rod extending outwardly from said power unit, an actuating lever pivotally connected to said frame, said piston rod being pivotally connected to said actuating lever, an abutment `surface on said actuating lever, slack adjuster means provided on said brakeV head-shoe assembly and having a surface thereon engageable with said abutment surface, and a spring clip detachably connectingsaid slack adjuster means to said actuating lever.

4. In a tread brake arrangement fora railway truck having a frame and a wheel and axle assembly, a brake head, a brake shoe secured to said brake head, hanger Vmeans to support said brake head from said frame, an

actuating lever pivotally secured to said frame, a power actuating means mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said actuating lever, a slack adjuster arrange- Ine-nt including an internally threaded housing mounted on said brake head, an adjuster screw having a threaded end portion engaged in said housing and having a hexagonal portion extending outwardly from said housing, an abutment iiange mounted on said hexagonal portion for engagement by said actuating lever, and resilient f clamping means springingly engaging said actuating lever and having end portions extending over said abutment ange and springingly engaging said hexagonal portion.

5. In a tread brake arrangement for a railway truck, a break head, a brake head actuating lever, a slack adjuster housing mounted on said brake head and having a threaded opening, an adjuster screw having a portion thereof engaged in said threaded opening, a plurality of flat surfaces on said adjuster screw, a flange on said adjuster screw engaged by said lever, a resilient member mounted on said lever and having end portions extending over said flange and engaging said tlat surfaces.

(References on foilowing page) um n 5 References Cited in the le of this patent 2,883,005 2,930,450 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,940,553 317,571 Poor May 12, 1885 434,874 Lawrence Aug. 19, 1890 5 2,112,530 Holloway Mar. 29, 1938 785,206 2,398,285 Browall Apr. 9, 1946 6 Polanin Apr. 21, 1959 Mann et al Mar. 29, 1960 Newell et al. June 14, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS France May 13, 1935 

1. IN A TREAD BRAKE ARRANGEMENT FOR A RAILWAY CAR TRUCK HAVING A SIDE FRAME SUPPORTED ON SPACED WHEEL AND AXLE ASSEMBLIES, AN ACTUATING LEVER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE INBOARD SIDE OF SAID FRAME, A BRAKE HEAD-SHOE ASSEMBLY PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID FRAME FOR ENGAGEMENT BY SAID LEVER, MEANS TO ACTUATE SAID LEVER TO MOVE SAID BRAKE HEAD-SHOE ASSEMBLY INTO FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH A WHEEL, SAID BRAKE HEAD-SHOE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A SLACK ADJUSTER SCREW ENGAGED BY SAID LEVER, SAID SCREW BEING THREADED INTO A HOUSING MOUNTED ON SAID BRAKE HEAD-SHOE ASSEMBLY, AND A RESILIENT RETAINER CLIP MOUNTED ON SAID LEVER AND HAVING LEGS ENGAGING FLAT SURFACES ON SAID SCREW. 